You may remember Copernicus
from high school science class—he was the guy who said that our home
planet was round, not flat. His idea that our planet revolved around the
sun and not the other way around caused a lot of agita (indigestion, if
you're not Italian) to those in power. The Church believed that the
earth was the center of the universe, and as the source of all authority
and power, convinced everyone who didn't want to be burned at the stake
that Church dogma was the only option. The Copernican Revolution may now
appear trite, but it was a breakthrough in thinking for its time.

Some of you already know that the quality of
the AC power coming into your system makes a huge difference in the way
it sounds, but for those who don't, here's another revolution! Do
everything you can to make sure that each electron is doing its part in
giving you that ultimate sound. If you have purchased all of the
state-of-the-art gear that you can afford, and you're still not getting
the magic you long for, you're probably wondering what to do next. A lot
of press is given to high-performance interconnects and speaker cables,
as these are usually the novice's first upgrade. They do make a
difference, but in my opinion, not nearly as much as solid power
connections for your amplifier and front end components. Excellent power
outlets, power cords, and power distribution centers will take you
further down the road toward audio perfection, and I strongly recommend
that you start there.

There are dozens of power products on the
market—regenerator boxes, transformers, isolation devices, and some
gee-whiz items that border on science fiction. I haven't tried all of
them, and I don't know anyone who has, but I have owned some, and they
have all been auctioned off to the highest bidder. I also have listened
to many more such devices in my friends' systems. The most noticeable
problem I encountered was a lack of dynamics, as if the amplifier was
being starved for power. Many boxes shrank the soundstage, and seemed to
make the system more polite, although in some cases this was a good
thing. Then there were the obvious changes in the character of the
sound. The most irritating to me was the sibilance that often gets
passed off as increased detail. I felt that the sound of my system with
these devices lacked life when compared to live instruments.

Many of my audiophile friends are also
disenchanted (to say the least) with these expensive boxes. Some have
replaced them with even more expensive boxes, but really, how much are
you willing to pay for Hubbell outlets? Why not step back a moment? Like
many system changes, these boxes can be impressive at first, but upon
long-term listening you notice that things are not quite right. The
music is no longer flowing, engaging, or natural. You don't listen as
long as you used to, and those late-night sessions with brand-new discs
have ceased to be a common occurrence. There's a malaise that tells you
that it's time for a change.

Although it has been said many times in
other publications, here it is again: For the most coherent sound, plug
every piece of gear into the same AC line, and make sure all are in
phase electrically, meaning that all of the hot and neutral leads match
up. (Hopefully all of the equipment is also correctly wired.) To get
everything coherent, you will need a distribution box to plug everything
into. This allows all the equipment grounds to be very close to the same
potential and (hopefully) produce minimum hum. The distribution box
needs to be plugged into the best AC outlet you can find, on a dedicated
line to the house's incoming power at the main breakers, if this is
possible. Many audiophiles plug their equipment into any outlet that is
nearby, and some of these may not even be on the same circuit. This is a
not a good idea, and usually causes harmful phase issues and grounding
problems.

Another issue that many fail to
appreciate—or even contemplate—is using different brands of power
conversion devices in one system. Did you consider that they may not be
compatible with each other? Certain types of electrical devices can
affect the entire circuit, and may degrade the performance of other
power devices in the system. Some of the newer digital gear uses
switching power supplies, and these may (or may not) be compatible with
regenerator boxes. Some manufacturers flatly state that they do not
recommend regenerators, and will not honor warranties if you use one
with their equipment. Find a dealer who is willing to let you try these
things in your system, and don't fall for the line "It will take six to
eight weeks to break in" unless the dealer will take it back with a full
refund.

I always visit the First Impression Music
booth at CES and pick up of a few of their fabulous-sounding discs. FIM
discs are always a sonic treat. The last time I stopped by, FIM was
doing demos with some beautiful 24-karat-gold-plated IEC connectors and
wall plugs. The guy doing the demo plugged one of the connectors into an
IEC socket, then asked people to try to pull it out. I tried, and it
really made a gripping impression on me, so I bought a Model 302 plug,
along with the Model 303 receptacle end, to upgrade one of my power
cords. When I got home, I replaced each end of my trusted 15-year-old
Kimber Kord with the FIM pieces and inserted it into my Arcam 33 T CD
player. Holy cow, what an amazing change! The whole frequency spectrum
opened up. According to the FIM catalog, "…using the best possible
power connectors is essential to insure clean and full AC power for the
components of your system. It is the fundamental and primary step for
good sound." My experience has led me to the same conclusion—they just
said it more succinctly than I could.

FIM power outlets are available at several
price points, beginning with the Model 880, which is made of
copper-coated metal, not silver or gold. (I am told that this product
may no longer be available by the time this article is published.) The
top of the outlet line is the 883, a 24-karat-gold-plated outlet made in
Japan, while the others are made in the U.S. The 883 can be ordered with
a special chrome wall cover, and comes with gold lugs to crimp onto the
Romex wire in the wall. Comparisons between the entry-level and the
top-of-the-line outlet revealed more air and more detail. These outlets
are excellent!

While I was on the phone discussing power
outlets with the proprietor of FIM, Winston Ma, he recommended the Model
883-15 Energy Center. It is not cheap (though I am), but after several
minutes of deliberation I ordered the unit. It must have been a flash of
inspiration. The 883-15 distribution box contains six Model 880 outlets,
two of them modified for a lower noise floor for your front-end gear.
The box is custom-made in the U.S. out of a solid maple block, with
copper plates covering the top and the inlet end. The internal wire is
ultra-pure cast copper, which is noted for excellent sound because of
its low crystal count. Low crystal count means fewer lattice junctions
and smoother, unimpeded current flow. The Energy Center made a profound
difference in the sound of my system, much more than I would have
believed from looking at it or reading about it. The first thing I heard
was a wonderful openness, and after that a coherence I never thought my
simple system could produce. With the FIM Energy Center in my system,
each power cord had its own signature, more pronounced than I had heard
before, and the same was true for interconnects and speaker cables.

Will the FIM outlets, wall plates, and
distribution boxes make a difference in your system? Of course! You will
have deeper, more defined, and more powerful bass, quieter backgrounds,
and a midrange that is, in a word, voluptuous. Cellos sing with a
wonderful, wooden sound, and pull you into each musical performance. A
singer's voice will be tightly focused, right in front of you, and it
will not wander around the soundstage. These products are the real deal.
Using them is like having a top-rated piece of gear added to your
system, and they are much less expensive than a new amplifier. The FIM
duplex outlets are simply a must have, and at the price, they're a
steal! Don't forget to get the shielded faceplates to go with
them—they're well worth the modest investment.

Winston Ma makes excellent recordings. To do
that, he must be able to hear everything that is occurring during and
after the recording and mastering sessions. He has used his listening
skills to create excellent power products for his own system, and now
for yours. You must read the FIM catalog to get his full design
philosophy, but the first sentence gives you the point: "To bring life
to recorded music." I don't know of other recording engineers who
produce their own gear (with the exception of Pierre Sprey of Maple
Shade), but I hope more of them give it a try. Electrical engineers may
know circuit theory, but a real revolution usually comes from someone
outside of the church (i.e., university)! The FIM products are valued
additions to my modest audio system. They are worth every penny. Lester
Mertz